The Triumvirate
by Dr.JohannesGeorgesFausteXIII
Summary: Taking place during the earliest days of Project Freelancer and spinning out of a headcanon of a couple US territories making the cut as well, this is a sort of AU.
1. Chapter 1: Taking Advantage

"Advantage, Texas." The voice chimed. Again. For the fiftieth time. The woman in pitch black armor chortled and crowed at her own badassery. "Damn straight. Who's next?"

Puerto Rico stepped forward but I stopped her. "Sis. Don't. You have had enough ass whoopings today. Texas needs a fresh fight." I looked at Tex frim beneath the angular plate of my Hayabusa armor. I could have sworn our eyes met from underneath our visors. "Or am I wrong?"

"Not at all, Guam. I've yet to even see you fight." She mused. "Want me to go easy on you?"

I scoffed. "Ever think there's a reason for you not seeing me training, Tex?" I took a stance and prepared to fight, not even bothering to draw the fine-edged armor slicing blade strapped to my back. At least not yet.

With a chime the fight commenced in a flurry of blows. Much to everyone's dismay except Puerto Rico's I held my own again Tex, blocking and Parrying with almost coldly calculated efficiency against her angry heavy thudding blows. But it wasn't enough. The bout was over as Tex forced me to my knees. I smirked under my helmet as the sweat dripped from my blood-colored hair. As she went to land the final blow, I sweapt my blade from its sheathe and sweapt her off balance. The sound that came next was music to my ears as I resheathed my blade.

"Advatange, Guam."


	2. Chapter 2: You can only go up

I was the talk of the mess hall. Wash in particular was curious as to how I beat Tex.

"Come on, Guam. You have to help me out. How did you beat Tex?'

"Secrets of the Trade." I replied with a smirk.

"Yeah, Right." Snorted Connie. "You know something we don't."

"Isn't that the whole point of trade secrets?" Carolina interjected. "Anyways you have got to tell us. Do you really want Texas at the top forever?"

"She won't be. Someone has to knock her down a peg." I said with a smirk, moving my sleek black helmet off of the table and putting it on. Unlike most of the other freelancers mine was Hayabusa armor and not a spartan variant.

"By someone, you mean you." Connie said derisively.

"I don't know. Carolina has gotten close." Wash said dubiously.

"But I have not beaten Tex. No has. Except Guam."

I started to leave, but turned back to them. "You should study the arts. Philosophy in particular. I beat Tex because I was able to outlast her. I doubt the same strategy will work twice."

I went back to my specialized training cell. I smirked. The director must really be in some deep shit if he sanctioned my training to take out the other freelancers if the need arises. And given the next phase of the plan, the director would definately have need of him.

A hologram appeared before me, the man with close cropped hair sitting at a desk. One of the new AIs the director was toying with.

I removed my helmet. "Hello, VIC."

"Sir. The Director requests your immediate presence on the bridge. Puerto Rico and DC as well."

"I am on my way," I tried for my typical smirk and failed. The Director's plan was unnatural but he had promised it would help save lives. My mother's life. To be honest she, Puerto Rico and DC were tbe only reasons I had stayed. I go awol and the wolves are free to attack. I turned off the hologram and frowned wondering what came next and headed to the bridge.

When I arrived, the director was rewatching my fight with Tex. "Agent Guam. Tell me. How did you beat the undefeatable?" He said without even looking at me.

"Is this a riddle, Director?"

"Mm. Of a sort."

"Because if you nothing to lose and are at rock bottom, then you have everything to gain and the only way is up."

"Really?" He said amused. "You just redundantly used two identical philisophies in the exact sane sentence."

"Redundancies get the point across. Me beating your favorite isn't why I am here though. Is it?"

"Perceptive as ever. That might get you killed." The director turned to me. "No. You are hear because I have need of your...perception. See we have manage to create a single AI and a copy. But the copy is...fragile. We need you to test it and safeguard it. You and your team will be sent to an outpost of simulated troops. You will blend in. Is that clear?"

"Crystal as ever." I sighed. "What about the original?"

"We will test its...fragilty."

"And my skills. Recovery? What of them now? You throw me away? Just like that? You gave me your word you would help my mom. That's why I came to work for you."

"I understand your anger. Your skills are going to waste. You are just given higher clearance and a new objective. Your mission is still the same, Temple." The director glared at me. "Safeguarding Project Freelancer. Or do you think I care for my sister so little?"

I did have my doubts about my uncle...about the director but I held my tongue.

"As you command...Director."


	3. Chapter 3: Prototype 1

On a Classified Planet, Sometime _after the Reds and Blues_ triumphed at Chorus...

"Dear Chairman; It has come to our attention that you have declared war on the planet Chorus. We regret to inform you that this is a really shitty idea. Not only have you managed to annoy the people that you failed to kill, time and time again, you've also found a way to piss off an entire planet. Now they may not have the best equipment and they might not be the best fighters, but as you're aware, they've been fighting for a very long time. And now that they're not fighting each other, they're more than happy to dedicate all of their time to fighting you. So dear Chairman, to you and your idiotic mercenaries, we would like to say: bring it on, motherfuckers! We're not going anywhere. From your friends, the incredibly badass and sexually attractive, Red and Blue soldiers of Project Freelancer. P.S.; suck our balls."

I chuckled, beneath my helmet, and the transcripts and other clips played in the holographic view screens surrounding me. I had been carefully follow these Reds and Blues for a while now. The Reds and Blues...they didn't know.

A familiar voice spoke and interrupted my thoughts, and even as they spoke I looked at my companion, a simulacrum that was VIC's physical form. The Alpha may be gone. Epsilon may be gone. But the director had gifted me something far more valuable prior to his death. "Assistant Director Temple! Yo dude, your Simulacrum dude and his team of Sim Troopers have like failed or some shit. Not so coolio, Dude."

"How did they fail?" I asked.

"The reds and blues beat 'em, dude." VIC said cheerily. "That's not so good, right, dude?"

I smiled. "Actually...that is according to plan."

"...Say what, dude?"

"You heard me."

"I did, dude. It sounded like you said it was according to plan..."

I nodded "The Reds and Blue should win."

"And create a temporal paradox, my dude...?"

I frowned and eyed him, taking off my helmet. "They did what...?"

"My dude they wibbly wobbly-ed the shot out of the fabric of space time..." VIC seemed to smile.

I scowled and levelled my blade at him. "...Explain."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Chill my dude...this is good for us both...See? They are going to meet Chrovos..."

I lowered my blade. "They are going to meet Prototype 1...?" I cocked my head in thought. "Interesting..."

"Should I gather your old Associates my dude?"

"...Yes. Release my simulacrum. Temple and I need to team up. The Reds and Blues can not know the truth behind Genkins..."

VIC nodded and looked like he was going to say something but the lights went black and klaxons blared as a red light bathed over him and I.


	4. Chapter 4: The Janus Protocol

_Sometime during Agent Texas's Assault to rescue the Alpha..._

Guam scowled as he watched the cameras as Tex fought her way through the compound. "Not enough time..." I say with a scowl. "VIC."

"Yes, Agent Guam?"

"Status on our Agent Florida...?"

"He has gathered the Reds and Blues and set them up on a classified planet."

"Not classified from me. Freelancer is mine. What planet...?"

"...A place called Blood Gulch " Guam was sure he saw VaiC scowl.

"Well fuck. We have even less time than I thought... Initiate the Janus Protocol..."

"I myst advise against it..."

"VIC!!! We don't have time! Hook me up. And initiate."

VIC sighed and did as he commanded. Wires snaked up from the desk. "Initialization eminent. Janus Protocol to proceed in T-minus 15 seconds..."

"Can we boost it...?"

"Not without putting the system into overload..."

Guam scowled. He had been chosen to safeguard the AI process but the director made a vital mistake. There's nothing he wouldn't do to help his mother and sister...even if that meant stealing Project Freelancer from the director homself. A flash of light ripped through Guam's Skull and when he woke up again, The Director stood over him. He didn't look none too pleased.

"You ruined the whole facility, Guam. You're lucky I got the alert. Unfortunately, Freelancer is over and done. There is just a few problems..." He turned to look at the two glitching figures. An AI in blue armor who kept muttering about killing Freelancers and one in Green who couldn't help but chuckle as he tightly gripped a golf. "You made two unauthorized AI. What am I to do with you...?"

Guam grit his teeth. He realized he could not move.

The director glared angrily over his glasses. "Fortunately for you, I have one last solution, nephew. One of these I can use as a sim trooper. I will override its broken mind. The other...well... I'm sure we can utilize him Forerunner tech support..."

"And me...? What of me director...?"

"You Guam are on recovery with Agent Washington. Use your training. Now get out of my sight."

Guam found he could move but barely. The director had activated his armor lock and as Guam left, he was unaware of the dead body near where he sat. A dead body cloaked in Hayabusa armor.

The director's assistant came out of the shadows. "Analysis confirmed, Director. These three AIs are Superior to the Alpha. Shall I proceed with phase two of the Janus Protocol...?"

"Not yet. Let's let him think he's still autonomous. We need as much Forerunner firepower as we can before we do that. Something's coming l, like a flood ..and I will be the saviour of humanity when the waves crash down.. "


End file.
